Embracing the Power of the Hidden Woman

"Who can find a virtuous woman where are they in light of what we've read here in in proverbs or what was quoted to us already this evening we've heard the words we heard it again we've had our minds refreshed as to what a virtuous woman is and yes we can cry out against America and I didn't say who can find a virtuous woman where are they where do you find them where do you find those women who will stay at home where do you find those women who'll guide their homes where do you find those women who submit to their husbands where do you find those women who are anointed by the Spirit of God where do you find those women who will be a hidden woman and support their husband hide in the shadows and support him and pray for him and be a blessing to him and honor him all the days of their life where do you find women like that today and I know that your hearts cry is to be all of that and I just remind you I'm not just preaching to you this evening but who knows who will listen to a tape like this and the cry is coming out to America who can find a virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies if you have found one of these women you have something more valuable than a whole handful of rubies tonight you've got something more valuable than a big pot full of gold tonight if you've got one of those kind of women who will support your brother and pray for you and stand behind you and encourage you and lift you up and guide your home and raise your children and take care of your clothes and cook your meals and clean your house you've got something worth more than a big pot full of gold tonight who can find a virtuous woman the heart of her husband a safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil she will do him good and not evil all the days of her life or what a blessing that is she'll do him good and not evil all the days of her life he can count on her he can trust her he knows what her responses will be in the thick and in the thin of life he knows what her response will be his heart safely trust in her he knows how she'll handle the money he knows how she'll guide the hole he knows what she'll do when he's away his heart safely trust in her she's valuable she's a jewel she's a handful of jewels tonight a virtuous woman I think I'll discipline myself to look over here because my heart rises up when I look into the face of some of you young men and say young men don't you settle for anything less then I've got me young lady that you know that'll live that way in your home don't do it millions settle for Less because of some pretty little girl that had a fancy little dress on they paid for it the rest of their life don't do it young men don't do it find a virtuous woman what we have here and we read these verses is we have a picture of a woman whose life is wrapped up in being a helpmeet to her husband his heart safely trust in her he doesn't have any worry he has confidence in her she does him good she lives for him she wants to please him she wants to support him her life is wrapped up in him my sisters this evening God did not make you to raise your children he did not make you for that although that's one of the duties that most of you will have in your lifetime is raising children but God did not make you to raise children God made you or your husband that's why you're here God made you or your husband if God had not seen the need for man to have a helpmeet there'd be nobody on this side of the room tonight amen God did not make you to raise children he made you for your husband many a mother finds her fulfillment in her children many a mother does that finds her fulfillment her beauty her joy her blessing in her children but it's not God's will your fulfillment is supposed to be in doing what you can do to bless the life of this man that God gave you and that's where you'll find the fullness of joy the fullness of a beautiful life the fullness of blessing the fullness of fulfillment that's where you'll find it nowhere else if you're married if you're not married you'll find it in doing all of that or your heavenly husband praise the Lord let's turn to Genesis chapter 2 and just read there a little bit pray for me tonight very weary Genesis chapter 2 and we'll read verse 18 through 23 and the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone I will make him and help me for him and out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name there on an Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air and every beast of the field but for Adam there was not found and helped me for him and the Lord God caused the deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man dairy named her all the other animals got a name and when it came time to look to see if Adam had a mane he had no mate and God brought him a mate and then Adam named her that's where you got your name sisters you're called woman because Adam named you but in these scriptures as we read we can just picture these verses here's God watching his creature watching Adam whom he had made and speaking with in his heart and saying it's not good for man to be alone I will make him an help me for him and this seems like the scene switch is there and all the animals are being brought before Adam and Adam is watching them come by male female male female male female and Adam gives them names and he calls a male lion a lion and the female lion a lioness and he calls a cow because the bull and the cow and he gives them all their names and all these animals are going by Adam and it says there was not found' and help mate for him and Adam knew that he was no dummy he was a very intelligent being that God had made and he knew that he could put two and two together and realize male female male female male female male no female and then God put him to sleep in while Adam was asleep God took out of his side area and out of that rib out of Adam side and out of that rib God made a woman and went out at woke up God took the woman and brought the woman to Adam can you imagine how he must have felt woman male female male female male female oh he must have been delighted that day boy his heart must have been thrilled he must have been filled with joy that day when all of a sudden he woke up and found that God had given him a helpmeet air Astana think how Eve must have felt I mean she was not and then all of a sudden she was she found herself existing why am I here you've been made for this man right here if you were not made for this man Eve you wouldn't be here can you imagine how that must have settled down over her heart do you think she had any problem getting in her place before the fall there did you think she had any problem getting in her place I am here because of Adam and if God did not see fit that I don't have a wife I wouldn't even be here what do you want me to do now Adam where would you like me to go what can I do for you here's the true spirit of marriage isn't it if we could take the two of those and just both of us us brethren on one side and the sisters on the other and just meditate on the spirit of that revelation in the scriptures there that is the true spirit of marriage right there the man God has given me a gift the woman God has made me for this man and I've a gift for this man the bee has helped me oh that's a blessing the full revelation of the reality of that was upon ease and that revelation is it sinks down in the hearts of each one of you sisters can change your life if it hasn't already absolutely transform your life and your home well I like to make a statement at this time I'm sure you've heard this before behind every great man there's a great woman that's a fitting statement after we looked here in Genesis at a great man and a great woman that God gave to the man behind every great man there is a great woman how many of you ever heard that statement before but he's of a worldly origin that little statement let me tell you what it really means out in the world behind every great man there was a great woman behind him behind the scenes pushing him challenging him telling him to go pushing him to do it making him great motivating him driving him so that he'll rise up and become a great man that is the worldly interpretation that is what the world gives here behind every great man is a great woman pushing driving motivating that man to become something and the connotation the world gives you is if he didn't have that great woman there he'd never be a great man she's the one who medium-well that's not right according to the Bible now it is true behind every great man there is usually a great woman but what does that mean what is a great woman that's behind this great man if I could say it this way behind every great man there is a hidden woman and thus the title of a message a hidden woman one who has found her role and her place and her power before God and her husband according to this book behind every great man yes there's probably a godly woman praying supporting loving admiring Batman we need that us men we need it and if I could just say this you unmarried girls you young ladies that are here tonight I would just plead with you just to open your heart tonight you're kind of in a free state you know this message doesn't have to be at all heavy on you you're free you're not married you haven't failed yet in a home you're just a young lady maybe someday to be married I would just encourage you to open your heart and ask God to just fill it full of the spirit of this message all evening make it the longing desire of your heart to become yeh to develop the characteristics of a virtuous woman the characteristics of a hidden woman because of her truest woman in most ways is a hidden woman she doesn't get a lot of attention but all someday in eternity she'll get plenty of attention when I think of a hidden woman I think of the illustration of J Frank Norris he was an old Baptist preacher that lived back in the 1930s during the Prohibition days J Frank Norris back in the early days of his ministry was a dud he was a flop he was a powerless preacher when he preached nothing happened never won any souls never had any lives changed he was just a preacher I'm not sure why even got into the profession of preaching but he was a preacher he was a flop and he was ready to get out he was ready to get out of the ministry he evaluated his life he said I'm not effective I'm not having an influence on anybody God is not using me and no souls are getting saved I'm ready to get out of the ministry that's how he was feeling but he had a wife who was a hidden woman she didn't tell him he was a dud she didn't sit him down and tell him what a flop he was she didn't remind him on Sunday afternoon that no Souls got saved when you preached today she didn't do that she was a hidden woman she was a wise woman and God laid it upon her heart to pray and fast for her husband for three days he did not know it he did not know that God had laid that on her heart she was a hidden woman she didn't go to him and say by the way I'm gonna pray and fast for you for three days at God will take care of you and deal with you and and straighten your life out she didn't do that she was a hidden woman she just simply heard from heaven and playing in her heart a time when she could set aside and pray and fast for that husband of hers that she knew wasn't doing very well in his spiritual life well on J Frank Norris aside he was ready to quit he had some meetings in a certain town in Texas and he decided well I'll go to these meetings and I'll speak this this week of meetings out and when these meetings are over I'm done I'm quitting I'm getting out he didn't tell that to his wife either so off he went to the meetings and during that week it happened to be the very week that the God of heaven laid upon the heart of his body to pray earnestly pray pray day and night pray without ceasing praying with a Fernan heart praying with a pure heart pray with a burdened heart for that husband of yours he went to the meetings and preached night after night after night and came to the last night of the meetings he was walking down the street heading for the church house and he was saying in his heart well this is the last night and I'm done this is the last night and I'm done with the ministry I'm not effective I've been here all week and nothing's happened here I'm just I'm just gonna quit and he walked into that church house and he got up behind that pulpit and something happened to him God began to move upon his heart in a mighty way a mighty way God's Spirit began to prevail upon him and he began to preach and he preached in a way that he'd never preached before and when he got done preaching it was time to give the invitation and he gave the invitation and the hardest sinner in the community was sitting in the back row and he stood up and walked down the aisle and fell down here at the altar and started to cry and then a young rebellious son stood up and he made his way down to the front and he began to weep and mom saw him go and she got up there next to him and dad came up and knelt next him on this side and and they got right with each other and somebody else stood up and they came down to the front and the people just started coming one after another and after another after another they came J Frank Norris dealt with people until midnight that night and he called his wife after the meeting was over with and he could hardly contain himself to tell her what had happened and he kept trying to tell her and couldn't tell her and he'd break down and cry and get back on the phone and try to tell her again break down and cry and finally he told her oh hi God poured his blessing out tonight and we got revival going on around here and I'm a changed man and there's hope for me and he shared how he was ready to quit in all those things and she was on the other end of the phone and she just said I know honey God gave me a burden and I prayed for you and I prayed through and I knew God was gonna bless you this week oh I'll tell you that may not be good theology to some of you but there needs to be some sisters that learn how to pray through you know what that means it means you pray and you pray and you pray until you get a witness from God then he's heard your prayers and he's gonna come through and give your answer I mean you need to learn how to pray like that well she was a hidden woman he went back from that meeting with a new courage in his heart and a blessing on his ministry and began to preach and Souls began to get saved in his church and the church grew there in Fort Worth Texas and he got a call to start a church in Detroit Michigan and and he pastored two churches at the same time he'd be in one church for one week and another church the next week and flew back and forth week by week he'd go like that preaching the gospel and building the church and building the work of God for the kingdom of God oh because he had a hidden woman Oh may God raise up some hidden women like that we needed sisters turned Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 33 I want to show you how you can make a man of God out of your husband providing is not just a rebel but yet according to 1st Peter chapter 3 there's even hope for him if he's a rebel if you'll listen to what I'm saying tonight Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 33 and this verse is kind of a summation of all the verses that preceded it concerning husbands and wives we'll just read the last verse nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself in the wife see that she reverence her husband I want to show you how you can make a man of God out of your husband how you can help him to be the man of God that he should be how you can help him to be the father in the home that he needs to be how you can help him to be the leader in the home that he needs to be how he can become a man of influence and have a ministry and be able to have an effect upon people's lives how I can be one who's known in the gates J Frank Norris was known in the gates and he had our wife it was a virtuous woman so I want to show you how you can help your husband this evening in Ephesians chapter 5 in verse 33 we see this one little word we want to look at that's the word reverence there's a lot of words hidden in that word reverence let me read them to you and the wife see that she reverence her husband that is submit to him that is notice him regard him regard what he says honor him prefer him venerate him or give him much worth esteem him defer to him praise him love him admire him exceedingly and let the light see that she reverence her husband reverence her husband submit to him notice him regard him listen to what he says be concerned about what he has to say honor him prefer him County but much worth esteemed him defer to him praise him love him admire him exceedingly you want your husband to become all that he needs to become reverence him you know last night sisters some decisions were made here and of course I knew what I was going to say tonight but the decision got made over on this side last night but there's a need for some mighty powerful activity going on on this side in order for those decisions that were made by the men last night to be carried out you saw them you saw them walk up you saw them kneel down you don't beside them you heard their prayers you heard the cries of their heart now trust them and believe in them and submit to them and notice them and regard him highly and honor them and prefer them and esteem them and praise them and love them and admire them exceedingly they need all of that they're going to carry out the commitments they made last night they need it all of it let me look at it on the other side here just a moment let me tell you how you can make your husband a mealy-mouthed man one who sits in the corner doesn't talk very much won't lead out in conversation he's afraid to make decisions and always looks to you to see what you think before he speaks let me tell you how you can make your husband a mealy-mouthed man one who kind of just sits there doesn't talk much you know what I'm talking about just kind of afraid to move make decisions it's kind of a Wallflower let you lead out let me show you how you can make your husband that way some of you young sisters just set yourselves to not notice him disregard what he says when he comes home from work at night don't go to the door anything just go about your own business act like he didn't come home disregard what he says when he's talking look the other way bring up some other subject dishonor him and belittle him in private and in public get on the telephone and tell somebody else what he's like disobey Him don't put much value in him or what he has to say push him to get your way find fault with him despise him you do that for about five years and I guarantee you you'll have a husband like what we just read here and I know or I trust that I know that nobody wants that kind of a husband well I've seen men who had tremendous potential turned into mice by those kind of activities and I've also seen men who had very little potential made into valuable men by women who were hidden women who honored and blessed and encouraged and admired and supported and prayed for their husband we're talking about a place of power tonight where you can stand that will bless your husband we're talking about the power of submission we're talking about the power and the influence of reverence we're talking about having a powerful influence on your husband and in your homes tonight that powerful place to stand is underneath his authority and if I could just give you this reminder get the spirit of the message tonight don't worry about all the details get the spirit of the message if you get the spirit of the message you can write a new list of how to's you can write your own book in 10 years get the spirit of the message if you grasp the spirit of the message if you'll get a vision of what God can do through you in your place in your home you can write a book in 10 years don't be loaded down tonight just let your heart say God that's what I want that's what I want to be help me to be that kind of woman in Ephesians again in chapter 5 let's read verse 22 wives submit yourselves unto your own husband's as unto the Lord we want to look at that verse here this evening you illustrate it a little bit I don't know maybe when you walked in here you saw this chair sitting up here and you knew what the chair was all about we're just going to use this chair as an illustration this evening just about every home has a chair that the husband sits in I have one that I sit in in fact I have two that I sit in in my house and everybody in the house knows that I sit in them I don't know if you could say it's Papa's chair but everybody knows that's the chair that I sit in if I've been away for a few hours I'll walk in the house and sit down in my chair where I always sit and just visit with a family so we're going to make this chair up here tonight the chair that sits in your house where your husband sits when he walked home when he comes home in the evening he's been away for a while and he sits down in this chair that's in your house only for the purpose of illustration tonight we're going to take your husband out of the we're gonna put the Lord in it now your husband's not in the chair but the Lord's in the chair I'm just gonna go to your house and the door opens up and the Lord Himself walks in instead of your husband one evening and he walks over he sits down in that chair where your husband usually sits what an exciting thing the Lord walked into my house today and he's sitting in the chair where my husband usually says how are we going to respond I mean the Lord sit in your house is not a blessing how do we respond well you'll probably ask him if there's anything you can get him Lord is there anything I can get you tonight well yes yes there is I'd like a cup of tea what kind of tea would you like a cup of mint tea yes Lord and oh you go back into your kitchen glory the Lord's in my house the Lord sitting in the chair the Lord wants a cup of tea you're gonna make that cup of tea oh you'll be so excited to make that cup of tea you'll get the best water you can find you get the best tea you can get you'll get the best honey out of the shelf you can get a hold of and you'll make that cup of tea for the Lord all the while while you're making it you know what you'd be thinking the Lord's in my house the Lord wants a cup of tea and I get to make him one and you take that cup of tea out there and here you go Lord and give him that cup of tea and you're not gonna walk away from that chair no not like you usually do with your husband here no way I mean the Lord sitting in that chair you're gonna give him that cup of tea and you're gonna stand there to see how it is he's gonna take a little sip is it alright Lord awesome it's a little hot oh I'll get an ice cube quickly run into the kitchen and back you go and drop an ice cube in it is this sweet enough yes it's fine oh the Lord's in my house and suppers on the table you're not expecting the Lord you're expecting your husband it's five o'clock and your husband usually comes home where the Lord came home tonight and he's five o'clock and all foods on the table all of a sudden the Lord says oh by the way I got a few phone calls I need to me could you hold this up for a little while until I get done with my phone calls oh sure Lord I'd be glad to do that I'll just pick it all back up and put it back in the pan and I'll put in the oven and I'll keep it boarding you take your time and make your phone calls right I wonder if we'd even think doesn't he know I made this meal doesn't he know how much I work for it doesn't he know it's already on the table I don't even think you would think those thoughts I mean he's the Lord who drew whatever the Lord wants right well that's what it means that's what Ephesians 5:22 means wives submit yourselves under your husband's as unto the Lord and I was reading it in another translation and it says as a service to the Lord not oh that's beautiful there's the Lord sitting in that chair there's the Lord sitting in that house your wives submit yourselves to your husband's and serve your husbands as a service under the Lord as if you were serving the Lord and I think to myself you know even while I say this I don't deserve that kind of treatment and none of us do none of us deserve that kind of treatment I know that but let me ask you sisters a question it's true we don't deserve it but do you think it'll make us a better man or a worse man that kind of treatment do you think it'll encourage us or discourage us do you think it'll make us feel good about ourselves or not good about ourselves do you think we'll be hard on you are kind to you if you treat us that way I'll tell you what it'll do a husband who gets that kind of treatment will sit in that chair and say I don't deserve this I do not deserve it I am not worthy of this kind of treatment what can I do for my wife how can I show her how grateful I am for the way that she serves me so lovingly so sweetly so submissively that's what he will do unless he's a rebel just a selfish man you know what it'll do it'll make your husband hit the altar you know it usually happens when I preach this sermon if I give an invitation and open one a bunch of the men will hit the altar now hit the altar and say God we don't deserve it we're not worthy of it we're not in the shape we need to be god help us give us the grace to be the man we're supposed to be that's what it does to them in just to hear it I'm sharing a secret with you tonight turn to first Peter chapter 3 this is a secret sisters there's discontented women all over this country that do not know this secret they don't know it they have no idea of it when they look at the role of a woman they see that thing as a miserable life that they don't want to have anything to do with when they look at their husband they see somebody that they are setting out to change any way they can by negging by complaining by bickering at him that's the way they see it but I'm telling you tonight I'm sharing a secret with you how you can help your husband to become a man of God 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 1 let's read through verse 6 likewise II wives be in subjection to your own husbands well let's just stop right there and notice what it says it says likewise ye wives likewise in the same manner ye wives in the same manner in what manner well the verses that are ahead of that are talking about Christ who also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing a gold or of putting all of apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price for after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own husband's even as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any amazement now I believe that we can say that God has told us in these verses right here how you can have the most influence upon your husband right here the word subjection there means adapt yourself women adapt yourselves and adapt your lives and adapt your thoughts and your desires to your husband Eve you were made for Adam adapt your life to his he was here first I put him in charge I gave him instruction he knows what to do he knows how to carry it out UB has helped me and adapt yourself to his life I put him in charge of the garden you find out how to do it you are a helper of a husband who's put in charge of the garden Eve adapt your life to his inverse to that word fear the last word in verse 2 it again is the word reverence while they a lost husband be holds your chaste conversation coupled with reverential fear reverential fear to him for him honor him bless him support him pray for him adapt to him love him esteem him admire him he will behold your reverence and be one without the word how can he be one without the word because you become the Living Word in the home that's how he's one without the word you become the living anointed eating effectual living word of God in the home and that's how he gets one he behold your chaste conversation even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit it says in verse 4 and there is no sense of a dominant woman in that the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit sisters you will never change your husbands by trying to change your husbands you will never do it how many of you know who Charles Spurgeon is let me see your hands Charles Spurgeon I think he was a Baptist preacher in England Charles Spurgeon he lived about 120-130 forty years ago he was a preacher he was a good preacher he was a man of God he had a very unusual life I'd like to tell you a little bit about his wife tonight sisters just to be an encouragement to you and to give you a vision of what God wants to do through you Spurgeon had a wife she was a blessed wife to him she had some unusual characteristics that I'm not encouraging you to do but she knew Greek and Hebrew I guess she could read it just like you read English she was unusual that way she made a good expository preacher's wife she knew Greek and Hebrew but she was a help me to her husband when Spurgeon wanted to preach a sermon he would get a text from God in his studying then he'd call and his wife in the evening hours Saturday evening and she'd come in there on Saturday evening and he'd sit back in his easy chair like this chair up here he had a chair that he sat in and he'd sit back in his easy chair and Spurgeon's wife would go to the shelves and pour every book down that had any kind of commentary on that verse that Spurgeon had gotten from the Lord that he was supposed to preach on the next day and then when she got done she went out of the room and then he got before the Lord and made his outline and next morning he got up and preached with power she was an unusual woman she had a name that she called him that I'd like to share with you sisters she called him her Shaka when she'd greet him in the morning she would say good morning sir Shatha and it was kind of a special name between the two of them she knew Greek in Hebrew and he did too and tersh affa is a greek word it means my reverence good morning sir shava how are you this morning good morning my reverence how are you this morning Oh can we get a glimpse of the spirit of those words tonight can we get a glimpse of the spirit of those words see they're not just words there's a spirit behind those words there's a spirit of honor there's a spirit of love there's a spirit of respect and reverence in those words good morning my reverence Sara called Abraham Lord good morning Lord that word Lord means master good morning my master good morning my lord good morning my leader good morning my guide my authority my husband my blessing good morning my reverence good morning tersh otha now it really doesn't matter to me this evening what name you have that you call your husband the spirit behind the words is what we're after tonight the spirit behind the words we're talking about reverencing our husbands and I realize I'm speaking to all kinds of different sisters here tonight you're in all kinds of different places with your husbands maybe you don't even have a sweet word you call your husband maybe the the gap is that far between you that there isn't even a sweet word Ora or there isn't even a honey there or a deer maybe it's that way but I'm telling you by the authority of the word of God that the spirit of reverence needs to come out of your heart and mouth to your husband what was she saying when she said good morning tersh otha she was saying charles i love you charles i highly esteem you Charles I care about what you say Charles I'm glad to be under your authority I like it under your authority I like it so much I'll call you a name that speaks of authority Charles I like being under your authority that's what she was saying good morning tersh otha I'm glad to be under your authority I belong to you Charles I'm here for you and my life's desire is to just live for you that's what she was saying what do you think that did to Charles brethren what do you think it did to Charles every man ought to be a king in his house we can't all be kings but every man ought to be a king in his house every man ought to know what it feels like to be a king he ought not to ever walk around like a king he ought to be a servant but he ought to know what it feels like to be RT and sit in a chair and be honored and blessed and reverence every man ought to know how that is every one of your husband's ought to know what that's like it is the will of God that you have reverence your husband's and there's a blessing tucked away in their sisters a great blessing and nobody will find that blessing until they move in to the area of reverencing their husband but there's a blessing in there I'll warn you it's a sweet one think with me a little bit this evening about the illustration of a fish out of water that's what I think of when I think about the women of the world today who are career women who are bold who are aggressive who talk too much go too much they want to make a name for themselves and all that I think of a fish out of water you ever watch a fish out of water very interesting you take that fish out of the water and it starts doing some funny things first of all its gills will start going in and out out real fast because it's it's trying to get oxygen but God didn't make it to get oxygen out of the air or God made the fish to get oxygen out of the water and that fish you take it out of the water it starts gasping for oxygen but can't get any you take that fish out of the water it'll start flip-flopping just like it because it needs oxygen and it can't get any if you hold it out long enough it'll slow down and if you leave it out long enough it'll die but if you take that fish out of the water just think of the illustration hold it out for a while and watch it gasp for oxygen and watch it flip and flop and flip and fall and gasp for oxygen that's a mighty uncomfortable fish discontent yeah it's discontent alright but you take that same fish and just drop it back in the water oh what a beautiful picture it'll just swim away like that oh you'll just swim away through that water and it'll be free and it will enjoy itself and it'll be right where God made it to live and I think of these poor ladies these feminists these women's libbers these career ladies they remind me of fish out of water that's what they remind me of sometimes I deal with him in the business world and there in the business world more and more all the time I didn't read the book but my wife read the book let's see the book is called the way home by Mary pride that book is a very interesting book it was written by a woman who was a career woman who was a career woman and she shares in the book what was really going on inside of her while she was being this career woman you know what she was she was gasping for air she was hurting on the inside she was unfulfilled she was empty she was not happy even though she was seeking to be a career woman in and all those things she was miserable on the inside and when she finally got back home it's so fulfilled her life that she was motivated by the Lord to write a book so that all the other career woman could read it and find out they're in the wrong place to send them back home well God made you for your husband he made you to reverence your husband and bless him and encourage him and be a helpmeet to him I wonder are you a fish out of water tonight if you're trying to make that man do it you're a fish out of water tonight if you're trying to do it instead of him doing it you're a fish out of water tonight your environment is your god-given environment of support and encouragement and service and reverence and in that place life will spring forth for you and you'll see right through life with the greatest of ease and freedom and blessing the feminist movement is not a new movement it's been around since the fall the Bible has a different word for it called rebellion I'd like to share another illustration with you tonight about a young lady that I knew many years ago her name is Jane when I was in Bible School I had responsibilities there in the bus ministry had a lot of students who worked for me under me and among those students there was one young lady that stood out to me she stood out to me back then she stands out to me more now than she did back then she was a single girl going to school I think she was studying to be a schoolteacher her name was Jane she was a godly young lady she had been guided with some godly principles as she was growing up she knew the principles of a hidden woman all those she probably never heard a sermon like this she knew the principles of a hidden woman that young lady she was a blessing to me as I served there in the Bible school and in the bus ministry it just seemed like she always knew what to say at the right time she knew when to write a little note she knew when to pray just seemed like she knew how to be an encouragement and be a blessing to me and when I wasn't her husband I was already married then I was just a leader and she was just one follow among many of there in the school that's all she was somehow or another she had the sensitivity in her heart to know how to encourage a man to become all that he's supposed to be and it's just the right time I get a little note from her when I was struggling in my own life dear brother Denny god bless you today I pray for you to ours today God be with you James she'd write that little note just the right time when the weeds and the burdens of the work were heavy I get a little note from Jane dear brother Denny god bless you today I know you're carrying a heavy load but God's grace is sufficient I am praying for you I get another note like that right on time and I always admired this young lady and I always thought some young man is gonna get a jewel with this girl well one day she came to me to seek some counseling she said brother Denny there's a young man who would like to date me and there at the Bible School that meant more than just a date it did mean somewhat you know that he's considering me for marriage and she said brother Denny I'd like to know what you think about him I don't want to just date some fella I want to know what you think about him would you please check him out so I told her sure I'll do that and I would encourage all you young sisters to do that when some young man would like to see you write to you you go to some men in authority and you ask them what do you think so I went and I checked this young man out and I didn't know him real well but I asked around a little bit and found out who he was and found out what his character was and all of that and he was a fine young man he seemed like a nice young man but he was you know he was just kind of a mediocre young fella in the school I I thought to myself oh come on Jane you could have anybody you want in the school you're you're a jewel you're a you're a great young lady you're a young woman of God you could have any young you want in the school are you sure this is the right one he's just kind of he's just kind of okay but I went back to her and I told her well he seems to be a nice young man and I don't think there's any problem with it go ahead so they started to date I guess in about a year it was they got married and that young lady she knew the principles of being a hidden woman she went after that young man and blessed him she poured all her strength into his life all those notes that I used to get I didn't get him anymore he got him all those prayers he got him all those words of encouragement he got him that submissive spirit that sat there looking at me when I was preaching he got him he got it all he got a jewel by the way she poured all her strength and all her power and all her prayer power and all her spirituality she poured it all into that man loving him and encouraging him and supporting him and praying for him and lifting him up two years later he was a new man a man of God a man of direction a man of purpose known in the school known in the gates sister known in the gates he was known in the gates young men of God a fine preacher a leader a man of direction a man of purpose one you can follow that's what he was two years later she knew the principles of a hidden woman and she knew that there's as much power available to her as there is to any man who stands in the pulpit to preach she knew another illustration for you this evening John Rice John our ice he's gone he's in heaven he was a man of God he was an evangelist he was an editor he was an author of 50 books I believe he was known all over the country to be a family man but John our rice was a busy man he had a wife mrs. rice who was a hidden woman she was a hidden woman and John our rice was an evangelist and he tried and traveled and traveled he was gone weeks and weeks and then come home grow one week and be gone weeks and weeks again and come home for one week and be gone weeks and weeks again most of his life he was gone there's no way that he could practice consistently what we've been preaching here this week he was gone all the time now I believe that he did while he was home because he was known everywhere to be a family man he raised six lovely young ladies or daughters he had no sons might not have worked out quite the same if he had sons but he didn't have time he was busy he was too busy to be the kind of father that he needed to be but his six daughters never felt neglected mrs. rice honored him when he'd leave for a preaching trip she'd gather all the girls around in a circle they get on their knees in the living room and they'd pray and all the girls would hear mama pray oh god bless daddy we thank you Father that daddy is out winning souls we thank your father that daddy loves you we thank you Father that daddy is in the work of God and he's caring about your work and he's out there in your vineyard and she would pray like that and those girls would also pray for daddy they never knew they never knew that he neglected them they never knew it and they turned out to be fine young Christian ladies in fact now they're older ladies and they even have grandchildren but all six of them turned out to be fine young ladies why was it dr. rice no it was mrs. rice who was a hidden woman and just got in there and filled up the gaps and lifted up that husband and blessed him and honor him that's what she did the Lord let her lived to be 94 years old I think I'm right on that she just died about half a year ago she spoke all over the country all the way up till she was 94 years old where do you think she spoke she spoke to women all over the country till she was 94 years old you know what she told love your husband's honor your husband's build them up submit to them be their support be their blessing be their encourage err that's what she did and I believe that God of heaven said I'm gonna keep this old lady alive as long as I can and she had the strength that 94 to speak to women I don't mean this many we might have a hundred ladies here tonight but hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them at one time she was an older women teaching the younger women to love their husbands and reverence them and honor them let me ask you this question is honored based on perfection are we supposed to honor because somebody is honorable is that the Bible teaching or is honored based on position which one if you're driving down the road and all of a sudden you look in your rear-view mirror and you see these little red and blue lights going around behind you and you pull your car over the side of the road the policeman gets out of his car and walked up to the side of your car what are you going to do you're going to honor him he might be a drunk you might even know he's a drunk but when that man walks up to your door and says would you please give me your driver's license you'll get that driver's license out and you won't just give it to him you'll say yes sir and he'll sense honor and respect coming out of your spirit won't he he man he will honor is not based on perfection it's based on position the policeman gets his due honor because of his position he might be a drug pusher some of them policemen they go out and raid a bunch of drugs and turn around and sew them and make their money themselves that's not very honorable but we honor them because of their positions safe if the governor knocked on the door of your house you may not even know who he is if the president knocked on the door of your house and you opened up the door and saw him standing there the governor or the president what would you do you would give him honor why he'd probably get the same treatment that the Lord got over here in the chair a little while at home if a governor came to your house if the president knocked on your door honor he would sense it it would be all over you you would be clothed in honor as you spoke to him wouldn't you honor is not based on perfection it is based on position sisters we've got to get a hold of that that is the truth we see it with the policeman we see it with government officials but for some reason or other it is gone in our homes many times we don't feel like we have to honor in our homes and our homes are hurting for it they're hurting tremendously for it honor is based on position and children you can learn something about these two your father and mother are supposed to be honored not because they're perfect but because God said to do it they are your authorities and you need to honor them respect them and reverence them we know that we understand it sisters we teach it to our children don't we we tell them with our mouths honor thy father and thy mother let us teach them by our example to honor father let us teach them by our example honor is based on position not perfection sisters not a one of us brethren are perfect not all of us is always worthy of honor not one of us but God says honor reverence respect the devil is chipping away at the strongest unit our homes if you feel free to talk about your husband when he leaves if you feel free to complain to the children about daddy when he's not around whoa whoa whoa that is big stuff you should never feel free to do that there ought to be a line inside your conscience that says in no way let me share another story with you and this illustration comes out of Lancaster County but I don't know the names and I'm glad that I don't there was a nagging woman who lived in Lancaster County she dishonored her husband she picked out him she fussed at him she nagged him she told him you're dumb she told him you can't do anything right she told him you won't take responsibility you are good for nothing that's the way she treated her husband that woman had little girls in the house they were just little girls and you know how it is when your children are small you you just don't really think much you know you're not quite as careful what you say when they're small and all that well she was that way with them and those little girls they just watch you know they love their mom and they I mean they would they were thinking in their heart I want to be just like mama when I grow up that's what they were thinking those little girls they watch that mama tear that husband apart with her words day after day after day and one day those little girls grew up and became teenagers and they felt the freedom to sit their father down and tell him and oh it hurt him when he saw the the same thing that he was getting from his wife coming out of his daughters and they would sit him down and say you're no good you don't love me you can't do anything right what do you know you don't understand that's the way it was when they were teenagers well those teenagers they got a little bit older and they got of marrying age and and they those girls they found their husbands and they sat their husbands down and told their husbands how wrong they were how dumb they were how come you didn't fix that thing yet that's the way they talk to their husbands and they had a couple little girls at their feet and their little girls were just standing there very innocently watching mama and thinking what all little girls think oh when I grow up I'm gonna be just like mama and they were watching mama while mama was tearing at husband apart and telling him how dumb he was and why don't you fix this and can't you ever do anything rioting and those little girls became teenage girls and that husband who married that woman and had all the right expectations and dreams about how his home was going to be found himself sitting there in his home and his teenaged girls were tearing him apart and saying you're no good you don't love me you don't understand who do you think you are one day those teenage girls grew up and it was time for them to get husbands and the same thing happened there also let me ask you this question who's gonna stop that chain see we could go on here all night couldn't we we could just do it again and again and again it just gets passed on from one generation to the next generation to the next generation to the next generation who's going to stop that chain and break it our little girls are watching our mamas tonight and they're saying I'm gonna be just like mama and they're going to be just like mama they are going to be just like mama and someday they're going to grow up and someday they're going to get married and they're gonna be just like mama you know what would be right to do when it's time for them to get married tell that young man by the way I mean you mothers if you're gonna keep going the way you're going you need to sit that young man down and say by the way I ripped my husband apart all my life and my daughter's learned it from me and you can expect it if you're gonna marry this girl that's what you need to tell him somebody needs to break the chain the chain must be broken it can be broken it can be broken sisters let me ask you this question if your husband we're lost tonight would your holy conversation win him or drive him away which would it be are you the stronger of the two you know this day and age we live in it's that way a lot I see it everywhere are you the stronger of the two do you have more insight are you the more spiritual are you the one that prays more do you have more spiritual thoughts are you more aggressive are you the one that speaks out easier are you the stronger of the two my sister God did not give you all those things to go ahead of your husband he did not give them to you for that those things are there that you may get in your place and get under that husband and pour all your spiritual energies into him and not with the motivation that you're going to change him if you've got the motivation tonight that you're going to change your husband if you think oh boy I got it now and I'm going for it it'll never work for you no it is your place it is your position it is God's will it is your environment it's the water that God puts you in to be all white and to be a mother and to be a loving wife and honor him and bless him and support him not so that you can change him just because it's God's will that's God's real for you I think many times it's pride that pushes a woman ahead of her husband it's pride you know what the women of today would have done if they were J Frank Norris his wife you know what they would have done they would have took over the church they would have been the pastor that's what they do that's what they do it now you see it all the time in the advertisements pastor and mrs. so-and-so come as they minister to you in their church yuck that's so wrong it's so far out I'll tell you every time I see a picture like that you know what I know is going on there's a weak man and a strong woman in that picture every time I see that every time I see a couple in the ministry like that together you have a weak man and a strong woman and she leads out that is not the will of God God's Spirit is not moving women to just pass their husbands up and leave him behind he is not doing that he is motivating you to get in your place and be what you're supposed to be for your husband sisters let him fail let him fail let him flop let him fall on his face let him be a total ruin let him ruin the finances let him ruin the whole let him fail then when he fails he'll rise up and get a hold of God don't run out ahead of your husband turn to Jeremiah chapter 9 in closing here's what you do sisters what shall we do brother Denny shall we rise up and take the lead shall we pick and peck at him shall we call someone up and cry to them about our situation shall we just give up and say there's no hope no here's what you do Jeremiah chapter 9 I would encourage you sisters to go home and just read the whole context of Jeremiah chapter 9 thus saith the Lord of Hosts consider he and call for the morning women that they may come and send for the cunning women that they may come let them make haste and take up a whaling for us that our eyes may run down with tears in our eyelids gush out with waters for a voice of whaling is heard out of Zion how are we spoiled how we are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land because our dwellings have cast us out yet hear the word of the Lord all ye women hear the word of the Lord and let your ears receive the word of his mouth and teach your daughters whaling and everyone her neighbor lamentation for death has come up into our windows and is entered into our palaces to cut off the children from without and the young men from the streets oh there is what you do my sisters there's what you do that's what we need you to do you know it's very interesting while I was studying this chapter that even jeremiah said in the first verse o that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of Tears that I may weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people even jeremiah felt like he had a need that wasn't being met and God spoke to Jeremiah and said thus saith the Lord this is what you do all for the morning women call for the wise hearted women and gather them together and let them take up a wailing for us trust men sisters take over wailing follow us we know that we're wrong we know that we fail we know that we're weak we know that we've made a lot of mistakes we know that we've grown up in a generation where there was no leaders and most of us are not the leaders we ought to be we acknowledge it we readily acknowledge it take them away lling for us go to prayer go get a hold of God and by the way mothers don't complain to your daughters teach him how to wail teach them how to cry and pray inside he for God that God would do the work that needs to be done in the men on this side of the room that's God's will that's what you need to do that's what a hidden woman does my sister she prays oh it's so interesting to me every time I study revival you know what you end up finding back there and the hidden shadows in the boiler room in the basement of a church house or in some little shack where a couple old ladies live you'll find some women pray every time you study revival it seems like you find some women praying down in a boiler room somewhere and I believe that's one of the reasons why it seems like there's a special burden on this kind of a message every time because God is moving upon the women to get a hold of him for their husbands for us for the men that we'd be all that we need to be let's kneel for prayer together father we come to you in the name of Jesus tonight I pray for the sisters Lord I pray that you'll bless them oh god we need them how we need them Lord they're very special Lord your spirit moves upon their hearts in unusual ways god I just pray for each one of them tonight I pray God you'll give them a vision I pray o father that you'll given guidance guide them in the right way Oh God give them hope give them faith in the hearts of God Lord I pray that you'll help them to go God's Way in this whole thing Lord so many women are trying to change their husbands they complain they nag and I know Lord they grow weary I know that father we are not the leaders that we need to be so many times but oh god I pray that you'll give them fresh courage tonight to believe your word to believe that God's Word will do what God says it will do Oh father I just commit each one of them into your hands tonight I pray a special blessing upon them Oh father I pray you'll give them help give them courage give them strength we need we need their help father we need it desperately god I pray that you will help us all to work together to put this thing back together Lord it's not right it is out of proportion many men are weak Lord many men are not metres many men do sit back oh god I pray that you'll help us to work together to make it happen again bring us right back into biblical perspective Lord God we ask it tonight in the name of Jesus amen thank you for listening to this message we trust that it has been a blessing to you if you would like additional sermons or a catalog please visit our website at effort ministries or call us toll free at 855 five five seven seven nine oh two or write to us at effort of ministries 400 West Main Street Suite one Ephrata Pennsylvania 175 to 2 you are welcome to copy this message for free distribution this ministry is supported by your donations may the Lord Jesus bless you you" [00:03:02]